Ralph Chandler Middle School Teacher Karen Ambrose Named SC History Teacher of the Year
Karen Ambrose, an eighth grade history teacher at Ralph Chandler Middle School, was named the 2012 South Carolina History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, HISTORY®, and Preserve America. A panel of teachers, administrators, and academics from South Carolina selected Mrs. Ambrose for her use of primary documents in the classroom and her career achievements in education.
Mrs. Ambrose, a 17-year teaching veteran, earned a bachelor's degree from Clemson University and a master's degree in education from the University of South Carolina. She has been honored as 2009 Teacher of the Year for Ralph Chandler Middle School and received the Palmetto Award for Teachers of Distinction in Social Studies in 2010.
As 2012 South Carolina History Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Ambrose will receive a $1,000 award, a certificate of recognition, and an archive of books and historical resources presented in her name to Ralph Chandler Middle School. She has been invited to attend a 2013 Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminar and is a finalist for the $10,000 National History Teacher of the Year Award. The winner of the national competition will be announced in early fall.
In addition, Ralph Chandler Middle School will be named a Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School. Affiliate Schools receive invitations to regional forums with noted historians, access to extensive teacher resources on their website such as lesson plans, toolkits, and primary source documents to use in the classroom, priority access to its Teacher Seminars and traveling exhibitions, online store discounts, and free mailings of classroom materials.